I've got a ticket to ride

..and it's alright!

I got bought -- or rather I bought it for myself and asked my mum to cough up the cash -- a copy of Ticket to Ride Europe by Days of Wonder for Christmas. It's a route-building game set in 1905 Europe, where you claim train routes by drafting cards and using them to pay for your little coloured plastic trains to link up exotic city destinations. I did my homework on the board game geek websites before putting the order in, and by gum it's a corker of a game. Really nicely produced, super simple rules and some tight, strategic and fun gameplay.

Vic and I have played half a dozen 1-on-1 games now, and it holds up really well as a two player game: there's very little hostile blocking going on, and it's all about racing your opponent and taking a gamble on picking up extra routes. It's quite a strategic game, but it's light, not fluffy.

Now, here's the bonus: Days of Wonder run Ticket to Ride online as a free play experience. You can register and play online right now. They give you a special code with the physical boardgame to track your scores and create new games, but you don't need a code to jump into someone elses game. I've already become rather addicted to the whole thing: it is in this arena where I can get my fix of a busy four or five player game, which is a completely different experience to Vic and my two player 'race' games. I've been sticking to the less complex -- and frankly not as good -- United States map, so our physical games on the Europe map retain their challenge.

I've already clocked up 20 games online, plus the 6 we've played at home, and after 26 games I have to say the game is top drawer. I'd say it's the best "family" boardgame out there -- better than Risk, Monopoly, Settlers or Carcassone. Heartily recommended.